The Advantages of Hydroponic Vegetables

Growers can harvest hydroponically cultivated tomatoes year-round.

Hydroponic vegetables are those grown in a nutrient-filled liquid medium -- usually water -- rather than in soil, which is the conventional means of cultivating vegetables and other plant foods. Increased attention is focused on hydroponic farming as the world’s food demands creep steadily higher while its arable soil resources remain the same. Not only are hydroponic vegetables virtually indistinguishable from those conventionally grown, but they also offer a number of advantages that add to their appeal.

Equal in Taste, Visual Quality

A team of researchers in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Nevada, Reno, undertook a comparison of hydroponically grown lettuce with greens grown by conventional means as well as those that were organically field-grown. They assembled a 23-member sensory panel who rated five types of lettuce -- butter, red leaf, green leaf, romaine and iceberg -- that had been hydroponically, conventionally and organically grown. Members of the panel rated the various lettuces on a number of criteria, including odor, taste, texture and visual quality. Reporting the results of their study in a 2011 issue of “Food and Nutrition Science,” researchers reported that panel members liked all lettuces equally.

Upper Plant Growth Optimized

While vegetables grown in soil must expend most of their energy to develop a root system that can reach out in a constant search for oxygen, water and nutrients, hydroponic farming allows plants to focus on foliar, fruit and flower growth. Hydroponics helps growers to optimize the supply of air, water and nutrients to the root system, thus paving the way for crops to grow at rates not previously seen in conventional cultivation, according to “Successful Hydroponics.”

Reduces Threat of Pests, Disease

Although growing vegetables hydroponically cannot eliminate all threats posed by pests and disease, it can cut down on them dramatically, according to Douglas J. Peckenpaugh, editor of “Hydroponic Solutions.” Since many pests and infectious agents are soil-borne, growing vegetables in water can sharply reduce exposure to these dangers. To ward off those threats that remain, Peckenpaugh suggests taking some common-sense preventive measures. He recommends using only sterile tools and gardening equipment in launching a hydroponic project, then making sure to keep things sterile throughout the crop-growing process. The reduced threat of pests and disease allows hydroponic farmers to cut their use of chemical agents, producing vegetables with minimal exposure to chemicals.

Increases Grower's Control

Hydroponic vegetable cultivation can be carried out in the open or in a greenhouse-type environment, although the latter is more common. While more expensive in terms of initial investment, hydroponic vegetables grown in a greenhouse or similar controlled environment can be harvested year-round, sharply increasing the crop’s yield. This allows vegetable crops to be cultivated in areas, such as deserts or polar regions, that are otherwise inhospitable to agriculture. It also increases the grower’s control over the plant’s environment, which is key to increasing yields.

Other Advantages

Laura Perez E., author of “Hydroponics for the Home,” points out a number of other benefits for vegetables grown hydroponically. The problem of drainage, critical for soil-grown vegetables, is eliminated. Maintenance of the ideal pH level for each vegetable is far less challenging, and weed control is no longer a problem, thus eliminating the need for herbicide. Since no soil is used in hydroponic cultivation, the problem of soil depletion is also eliminated.

About the Author

Don Amerman has spent his entire professional career in the editorial field. For many years he was an editor and writer for The Journal of Commerce. Since 1996 he has been freelancing full-time, writing for a large number of print and online publishers including Gale Group, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Greenwood Publishing, Rock Hill Works and others.

Photo Credits

three fresh hydroponics tomatos image by Flashon Studio from Fotolia.com